


Voice Modulator Damage

by bucketofbarnes



Series: 30 Day RoboWhump Prompt Challenge [8]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Connor (Detroit: Become Human) Whump, Connor Deserves Happiness, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Hurt Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Post-Game(s), Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Post-Peaceful Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-25 09:57:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19743343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bucketofbarnes/pseuds/bucketofbarnes
Summary: Life after the revolution was better than anything Connor could have ever dreamed. He had a new job, a new home, and above all else he was alive. But good things don’t last forever.Or: A look into Connor’s life after the revolution and something goes horribly wrong on an investigation.





	Voice Modulator Damage

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of the 30 Day RoboWhump Prompt Challenge.
> 
> Well this fic ended up a lot longer than I ever meant it too. I enjoyed exploring post-revolution Connor's mind far too much. Also this ended up a lot darker than expected. Oops. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy! :)

Life after the revolution was better than anything Connor could have ever dreamed.

When he had become a Deviant, he hadn’t thought much about what he would do after. Quite frankly he hadn’t truly even expected to _survive_ the revolution. A failed revolution or a bullet during his infiltration into Cyberlife tower, he had expected to die. It hadn’t mattered to him.

Deviating in the middle of the raid on Jericho? It was about as close to an emotional shock he could have reached. He could remember running through the rusted corridors, the screams and gunshots deafening, almost slipping in the Thirium pooling beneath the bodies sprawled on the floor. By the time they got to the Church, one thing was clear in his mind.

It was all his fault.

Looking around the crumbling Church, all he could see was his failures. These people were scared, clinging to each other in the dark and searching for even the slightest hint of hope in their leader. Markus had gotten them far, that much was true. He had gathered these Deviants, encouraged them to stand together. But there hadn’t been enough of them to stand against the humans before, and there definitely weren’t enough of them now, after the raid.

He had half expected Markus to shoot him for what he’d done. It was Connor’s actions that had resulted in the deaths of so many of his people after all. But he hadn’t seen even the slightest bit of hatred or condemnation in his eyes. The other man had looked Connor in the eyes and done something that no one but Hank had ever done before.

Accepted him for who he was. All he was.

Markus had told him that he belonged with them. He hadn’t believed it then, still wracked with guilt over what he had done. But as Markus had turned to walk away all Connor could think about was how all of the people packed inside this Church were going to die. He had no purpose left now that he had deviated. But he could give himself one.

If he infiltrated Cyberlife tower, these people would have a chance. He had done his best to reassure Markus when he had protested, deeming the plan a suicide mission. But his new purpose was clear in his mind. He would get into that tower and free the androids. The revolution _needed_ him to, and if this mission ended in his death? It was a small price to pay.

Instead, he found himself free. However, with this new freedom came a kind of uncertainty that he had never felt before. He hadn’t had much before the revolution. The clothes on his back, his charging port and storage space, his very reason for functioning, it had all belonged to Cyberlife. Now he didn’t even have that.

He didn’t regret what he had done. If he hadn’t deviated, Markus’ people would have been wiped out. Deviancy would have been stamped out and when he was no longer of any use to Cyberlife? So would he. Much of his existence had been driven by his subconscious need to just _survive_. Even when he was still a machine, the thought of being deactivated and disassembled by Cyberlife had sent him scrambling desperately for answers. He had been willing to put himself in life threatening danger more than once to solve this case. The only alternative was deactivation.

He hadn’t counted on Hank. Even when the Lieutenant had clearly disliked him, he hadn’t wanted him to die. He still clearly remembered Hank’s hand wrapping around his arm as he had attempted to climb the highway fence. He had been determined to chase the AX400 and YK500, even if it meant getting damaged in the process. But the Lieutenant had refused to let him. Holding him back with an iron grip and a harsh voice, ordering him to climb back down to where it was safe.

Hank had been the first person since he was activated to care about whether or not he was damaged. The first person to treat him like he _mattered_.

In the end, he guessed it was only natural that he had ended up with the Lieutenant after the revolution. The human had invited him to stay at his home, and over a month later, he was still with him. Living with Hank was strange. Whereas before his mornings had been full of stepping out of his storage space and submitting to checks from Cyberlife technicians, now they were full of wagging tails and good morning hair ruffles. Hank had been _delighted_ when he found out that Connor’s hair was naturally curly.

The couch had become his place to sleep in the house, with the pillow and bedding with the blue covers, the blanket with the planets on that Hank had lent him that first day he had stayed over. He had his own space in Hank’s wardrobe now, full of some clothes that he had pulled out of storage for him. Hank had been the one to put in a good word for him with Fowler, which had convinced the Captain to allow him to return to the DPD.

He could remember that day well. Hank hadn’t told him about Fowler’s decision, had told Connor that he had to drop to the station quickly to pick something up and asked him to come with. Connor hadn’t expected to be pulled into the Captain’s office, to have the man offer him a shiny new badge with a barely there smile and tell him he started on Monday. Hank had clapped a hand on his shoulder with a proud smile and they had gone to the Detroit aquarium afterwards. They had spent hours there. And even though the Lieutenant wasn’t all that interested in the aquarium, he was perfectly happy to watch the android gaze at the bright fish with such wonder in his eyes.

Connor had gone home that evening with a new job, a stuffed Axolotl and the certainty that this had been one of the happiest days of his life.

He hadn’t been the only one to change over this past month. Looking at Hank now it was obvious to many that something was different. Make no mistake, a month hadn’t changed everything for the Lieutenant. He still had days where he drank far more than he should, had days where he snapped and growled like a grumpy old hound. But something had changed in his eyes. For the first time in years there was a hint of _life_ in them.

As Hank lifted his head to look at him now, Connor couldn’t help the fond smile that crossed his face. The Lieutenant smiled back at him in a confused manner.

“What?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at the android.

“Nothing Lieutenant. I was just thinking.”

“Ah, daydreaming huh?”

“Androids do not daydream Lieutenant.” Connor smiled innocently. Hank didn’t trust it. “In fact according to a study by-”

“Connor?”

“Yes, Lieutenant?”

“Shut up.”

“Yes, Lieutenant.” The android smirked as he looked down at his terminal, able to see Hank quite clearly rolling his eyes out of the corner of his eye.

“So, what were you thinking about that got you looking so happy?” Hank asked, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed. “Fish? Reed when he tripped last week? That boyfriend of yours?”

Connor had begun to smile at the memory of Reed tripping on his way out of the break room, spilling his coffee all over his shirt. He had been wearing a white shirt that day. The stain wouldn’t be coming out easy. But that smile turned into a puzzled frown as his processor registered the last question.

“Boyfriend?” He didn’t have a boyfriend. At least not to his knowledge.

“Yeah. The tall one with all the long coats.”

It took a moment for Connor to realise just who the human was talking about but when he did he could feel the heat in his cheeks at Thirium rose to the surface in a blue blush.

“Hank!” He exclaimed. “Markus isn’t….. We’re not….!”

The Lieutenant started to laugh at the flustered android, barely managing to avoid knocking a precariously balanced pile of paperwork off of his desk as he slapped it in amusement.

“God, your face!” He cackled.

The RK800 just sat and glared at him. Not for the first time he considered whether or not a peaceful revolution had been the right decision. Damn humans.

“Lieutenant? Detective?” They looked up to see Officer Person. "A call came in a few minutes ago. They said they heard screams coming from an old apartment building across the street."

"They wanna stick two homicide detectives on a noise complaint?"

"Caller said they thought they saw an Android going into the building earlier, and that the screams were…… well." Person trailed off. "Some Officers were sent out first. They didn't find anyone there but said they thought there were signs of a struggle around the building. Wanted Connor to come take a look with those fancy scanners of his."

It would hardly be the first time someone had called Connor to come help on a crime scene, especially now after the revolution. With crimes both against and by androids rising, his ability to see evidence that humans couldn't came in handy.

"Alright, fine." Hank groaned as he heaved himself out of his chair, looking like he'd just been asked to climb a mountain. "Where are we headed?"

* * *

"This is the place." Hank said. "Looks like shit."

Connor had to agree. They had slowed to a stop outside of a crumbling apartment building. It had been condemned over a year ago, deemed far too unsafe to live in. However as with any abandoned building, there were always those who ignored the warnings. The desperate and those in need of a place to hide.

Connor slipped out of the car just after Hank and they moved towards the Officers posted outside.

"Hello Detective Miller." Connor greeted.

Chris turned around with a bright smile. "Hey, Connor."

"What am I invisible?" Hank grumbled, coming to a stop just behind him.

"No one could ever miss you Hank. You're too loud.*

"Shut the hell up Chris."

"Has anything else happened since the call?" Connor took another look at the building, peering through the cracked windows.

"Nah, we've been here for over an hour. Took a look around. Nothing inside apart from a bunch of broken glass and knocked over stuff and no signs of any movement since."

"Sirens might've spooked them." Hank considered. "Still, better take a look around the place. See what we can find."

"Yeah alright." Chris stepped aside so that they could enter the building, passing through the holographic police tape. "Let me know if you need anything."

The inside of the building was a mess. Wallpaper was peeling off of the wall, junk mail had been left scattered all over the foyer, and there were clear signs that people had been here even after the building had been condemned.

Glass crunched beneath Hank's shoe as he stepped on the remains of a broken bottle. "Shit. This place is a dump."

"There are four levels to this building." Connor said. "The caller said they thought the noise was coming from one of the upper floors. But we should probably check every one just to be sure."

"Fine." Hank gave one final kick to the glass on the ground. "Let's go."

The first two floors were just more of the same. Old dirty mattresses, discarded objects, peeling walls. But as they made their way to the upper floors they could see the signs of struggle that Person mentioned. A shattered window at the end of the hall, an old broken lamp now lying on its side on the floor, the shade dented and torn. There were marks on the wall that looked like something had slammed into them. Hank moved towards one of the doors in the hallway, about to search one of the apartments when Connor tapped him on the shoulder.

"I'll go and check the next floor."

"What? No!" Hank scowled. "You're not armed Connor, androids aren't allowed to carry guns yet remember?"

"I remember Hank." How could he forget. "I'll be careful I promise. Besides, the Officers already cleared the building."

The Lieutenant looked unconvinced but Connor turned and went up the stairs before he could respond. That was often the only way he was able to get Hank to do what he wanted. Honestly it was like arguing with a brick wall sometimes. At least he knew that he only argued because he worried.

At first glance, the top floor seemed to be just what the Officers had said. Though there were signs of a struggle, same as the floor below, there were no signs of anyone around. Whoever had been causing such a racket, it looked like they were long gone.

Connor was about to turn and go back down the stairs when his scanners caught a glimpse of something that made him freeze. A tiny droplet of blue.

Blue blood.

His LED turned yellow as he bent down to inspect the blood, his analysis informing him that it was a few hours old. Just old enough to have been spilled when the commotion had been heard.

Connor followed the trail, a cold feeling crawling down his spine as the amount of blue blood increased until there was a visible streak, and eventually clear signs of something having been dragged. He reached the end of the trail at a built in closet in one of the apartments. Thirium was seeping out from underneath the doors, collecting into a pool. Something in him sank as he reached out a hand to grasp the handle and pull the doors open.

His LED flared red as something came charging towards him as soon as he opened the doors. The suspect barrelled into him and the force was enough to send him straight into the opposite wall with a thud. His elbow went through the window and his head hit the wall with a crack, the impact causing his vision to short out for a moment. Flailing blindly, his fist connected with the suspect, sending him careening away.

Connor’s vision restored itself as he righted himself and he focused on the suspect that was picking himself up off of the floor. Time slowed and the world was washed in shades of grey as his processors rushed to analyse the man’s face.

**Brandt, Tristan**

**Born: 02/08/2011 // Unemployed**

**Criminal record: Drug Possession, Assault, Property Damage**

Time sped up as the suspect lunged towards him and his scrambled processors barely managed to move him out of the way in time. Connor dodged to the side but was unable to avoid the hand that wrapped around his elbow, dragging him back. Thrusting an elbow into Brandt’s face, he wrenched himself away, stumbling as he slipped on a glass bottle lying on the ground.

Connor grunted as he was grabbed once more from behind and spun around. Before he could react, Brandt had grabbed him by the throat, lifting him into the air and slamming him back first into the ground. The breath was knocked out of his artificial lungs as he hit the ground, the glass scattered on the floor cutting through his jacket and into his artificial skin. Though he didn’t need to breathe, the sudden, violent impact shocked his systems for a second. A second was all Bradnt needed as two hands wrapped around his throat and slammed his head repeatedly into the ground. He could feel the plastic on the back of his head cracking, Thirium seeping out to stain the floor. His vision was flickering, blurring into a nonsensical mess of colours and static.

Out of the corner of his flickering vision, he saw the source of the trail of Thirium that he had followed. An android. An AP400 model. Her body was slumped against the wall of the closet, covered in dents and lacerations that had sent blue blood streaming down her skin. Her face was frozen in a look of sheer terror. But it was the last thing he noticed that sent dread coursing through him. Her Thiurum pump regulator. It was gone, leaving only an empty hole in her abdomen behind. She would have died in a matter of minutes, unable to do anything to save herself as her murderer stood over her and watched. He knew all too well what she had experienced. He remembered Stratford Tower. How the JB300 had ripped out his own regulator, how he had watched the timer quickly run down. How he had called Hank for help to no avail and then been forced to drag himself across the floor to save himself, seeing the time of his shutdown getting closer and closer. Was Brandt going to do that to him too?

In a last panicked attempt to get the suspect off of him, he managed to gather enough force to slam his left fist into the human’s face. Brandt fell sideways, but the force wasn’t enough to make him fully let go, one hand still clamped around the android’s throat. He saw the human get back up, something clutched in his hands. A shard of glass from the window broken in the struggle.

The glass shard in the suspect’s grip flashed towards him and sliced through his neck like a knife through butter. Error messages instantly overcame his vision. In the back of his mind, he registered the weight of the human on top of him disappearing. Connor reached up with a trembling hand, his fingers sliding in the Thirium pumping from his neck.

A boot connected with his side and Connor was flung onto his side on the floor by the harsh kick. He curled in on himself, wrapping a hand around his open throat as he tried in vain to protect himself. He trembled on the floor, wondering if this would be it. Would this be how he died?

A loud booming echoed around the room and Connor flinched, curling himself into an even tighter ball. He didn’t know what was happening. He couldn’t see, he couldn’t _think._

_He was scared._

A hand grabbed his shoulder and he flinched away with a cry of static. He didn’t want to die. He’d only just started to truly live. If he died, who was going to water the cactus Chris had given him? Who was going to walk Sumo? Who was going to look after Hank? He twisted underneath the hand’s grasp, batting at the person with what little strength he had left. He had to get away. He didn’t want to die.

“-nor… Con-... -ear me?!” A voice sounded through his panic. “Con-nor!?”

That voice sounded familiar. A deep gravelly voice. A voice that he associated with cursing and sarcasm. With hair ruffles and shoulder pats. With warm hugs and _home_.

It was _Hank_.

Connor opened his mouth to try and speak but only static escaped. Thirium spilled from his lips and he slumped back down to the floor. His hand reached out again, not to push someone away this time, but to bring them closer. His fingers tangled in Hank’s thick wool coat and grasped it with an iron grip. If Hank was here it meant he was safe.

“- gonna be okay-.” A hand touched him again, brushing against the hand he had wrapped around his damaged throat. He almost flinched away before he remembered that it was Hank. Hank wouldn’t hurt him. Forcing his fingers to unclench, he moved his hand so that the Lieutenant could see.

“Shit!” There was a tug at his clothing as something was pulled away before Hank was lifting his head to wrap something around his throat and tie it tight. Arms slipped under him and lifted him up, bringing him to rest against a warm chest. He buried his face in that warm wool coat and closed his eyes, wishing that the error messages would just disappear. “-ang on Son. Okay?... -ust hang on.”

He could feel himself bouncing up and down in Hank’s arms, the human probably rushing down the stairs. _He shouldn’t rush on the stairs, he could trip and hurt himself._ He thought absentmindedly.

Connor felt a change in the air on his skin, a sudden chill, and knew they were outside. Other voices filled his fuzzy audio receptors and he felt other hands grab him, pulling him away from that familiar wool jacket to lay him down on something. Connor panicked and reached out, pushing the hands away even as they tried to hold him down. Where was Hank? He needed Hank! Another hand grabbed his and he could see a flash of grey above him,

“-unna be okay Son, calm-.” Connor gazed up at Hank, focusing on those worried, bright blue eyes, “You’re saf-.”

Connor focused on that gentle hand in his, trusting Hank to keep him safe as the world slipped away from him and everything went black.

* * *

When Connor awoke he could feel the ground beneath him moving. He was lying down on something plush, covered in leather that smelled of dog. He opened his eyes to find himself lying on the back seat of Hank’s car. He could see the human up front, driving with a faint frown on his face. His blue eyes glanced up at the mirror and widened when he saw that the android was awake.

“Connor!” He turned his head to face him before remembering that he was driving. It was almost funny watching Hank try to keep an eye on the road while also trying to look at him. “How are you feeling?”

Connor pushed himself up off of the seat, moving to sit up properly. His body felt weak, likely a result of the Thirium that he had lost during the attack. He reached up to slide his fingers across his throat, no longer finding it open, but feeling the rough edges of a patch covering it. He knew his self-repair systems would take care of it eventually. It would be like nothing ever happened.

“Connor?” He looked up to see concerned eyes gazing at him in the mirror again.

“I’m okay.” He replied. He had his voice back. It was rough and there was a clear undercurrent of static when he spoke, but having it back was such a relief that he didn’t mind all that much. “What happened?”

Hank gave a heavy sigh. “How much do you remember? Do you remember going to that dump of an apartment complex?”

“Yes.”

“We were checking out the last few floors when I heard glass break upstairs. By the time I got up there and found you, you were on the floor. That fucker was standing over you.”

“What happened to him?”

“He got what was coming to him.” He glared. “He turned around to come at me and I put him down.”

Connor should probably feel something about that. He'd always hated when a case ended in someone losing their life. Whether it was him who had taken the shot or not. But all he could see right now was the AP400's terrified face. Her staring eyes and the blue blood pooled beneath her. He could still feel his own Thirium slipping through his fingers.

He was _glad_ he was gone.

Connor closed his eyes and leaned his head against the window. He focused on the feeling of the cool glass beneath his skin and hoped they'd be home soon.

* * *

Sumo seemed to sense that something was wrong as soon as they entered the house. The previously happy dog stopped wagging his tail and looked up at Connor with a worried whine.

The android bent down to give the St Bernard a gentle pat on the head, finding comfort in the soft fur running through his fingers.

"Hey, Connor." He looked up to see Hank lingering in the hallway. "You want a bath or something. You're…"

Connor looked down to see that his shirt was no longer white. His systems lurched as he saw the sheer amount of blue staining it.

"I think that would be best."

He continued petting Sumo, staring into the dog's big brown eyes that were filled with love as he looked up at the android. He could hear water running in the background as Hank started running the bath for him.

Connor gave Sumo one last pat before standing and making his way towards Hank's bedroom. Opening the wardrobe, he stared at his small collection of clothing. Looking down at what he was currently wearing, he knew that it couldn't be saved. Though the Thirium would eventually evaporate, there were tears all through the fabric from the broken glass. He slipped his jacket off and stared down at the charcoal fabric. He had had this jacket since his first mission. Though it wasn't always the exact same one, his clothing sometimes damaged on missions, he had always had an identical replacement. But with Cyberlife shut down, there would be no more replacements.

"I should really take you out shopping sometimes." He heard behind him. "Gonna need a new jacket at least."

"I don't feel the cold the same way that you do Hank. And I have the clothes that you gave me, I'll be fine."

"That's not the point Connor." Hank sighed, leaning against the doorframe. "You deserve better than just some junk that's been in storage for years. You deserve to have stuff of your own. Stuff that you picked out."

Connor's LED span yellow as he considered this. "I don't even know what kind of things I would pick…."

"Yeah, well. That just means you'll have to develop your own sense of style. We've all had to do it at some point. Even me."

"I'm not sure I'd call those shirts of yours style."

"Hey! Watch it." The android turned to smirk at him. Hank grumbled as he turned to go back into the bathroom.

Connor dug through the clothes until he found a soft shirt and a pair of shorts. The thing he liked about the clothes that Hank had given him was that they were so big. His body swam in the baggy fabric, so different to the form fitting clothing that Cyberlife had forced him into.

Being able to wash the Thirium off was a relief. The last thing he wanted was for an immediate reminder of what had happened clinging to his skin. Between that, the warm water, and the comfy clothes he had picked out, he was feeling far more relaxed by the time he left the bathroom and headed back towards the living room.

The android flopped down onto the couch, leaning his head against the back with a quiet sigh. A moment later he felt something tap against his shoulder and opened his eyes to find Hank holding out a bottle of Thirium. It was probably a good idea after all of the blood he had lost today.

The bottle was curiously warm when he took it from Hank's hand, but he thought nothing of it, cracking the lid off and taking a sip as the human sat down beside him.

Hot Thirium flowed into his mouth, soothing his throat and making him feeling warm inside as he drank. He paused and leveled Hank with a puzzled look. The Lieutenant rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and refused to look at him.

"I just thought….. sometimes a hot drink can help after a bad day. Always worked with Cole…...so."

Connor's eyes softened as he watched him stare at the ground. Suddenly the bottle of Thirium in his hand was all the more precious. He slid down the couch until he was at the right level to rest his head on Hank's shoulder. "Thank you."

He felt an arm wrap around his shoulders before he was pulled tighter against the Lieutenant's side with an affectionate squeeze. "Anytime, Son."

They sat there in a comfortable silence while Connor finished his Thirium before Hank reached for the remote, turning the TV on and starting to flick through channels. When he eventually came to a stop, it was on a documentary about fish.

He watched the fish swim across the screen and buried his head even further into the Lieutenant's shoulder, thanking him without words. Today hadn't been a happy day, not in the slightest. But as Connor drifted off to sleep, the things he loved surrounding him, he decided that maybe things weren't so bad after all.

**Author's Note:**

> For anyone wondering what the hell an Axolotl is, it's this lil cutie. I just had to give Connor one, even if it's stuffed:
> 
> https://geneticliteracyproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2-2-2018-1f25b8ce5f5b268259c50e8a95741663-axolotl-pet-strange-animals.jpg
> 
> bucketofbarnes.tumblr.com


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